Company’s Testing Capability Allows Developers to Work with End Users to Improve Usability of Application and Site for Consumers

The healthfinder.gov Mobile App Challenge will debut Hatch's testing capability, which allows developers the opportunity to interact with end users to improve usability.

Larkspur, California (PRWEB) December 17, 2012

Health Tech Hatch (Hatch), a crowdfunding and development resource for entrepreneurs creating innovative health and wellness products and companies, today announced it will operate as the user testing platform for the healthfinder.gov Mobile App Challenge. Hatch’s platform already supports health care innovators by providing crowdfunding, clinical and usability testing, and rating of concepts and prototypes, along with mentoring and marketing support to help entrepreneurs succeed in growing their businesses. The healthfinder.gov Mobile App Challenge will debut Hatch's testing capability, which allows developers the opportunity to interact with end users to improve usability. healthfinder.gov is a reliable prevention and wellness website that provides information about preventive services covered under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as an advisor, challenges teams of developers and health professionals and health consumers to co-design a mobile app that will be used by the public to access customized decision support for preventive services and wellness information from healthfinder.gov. The ideal application (“app”) will help make healthfinder.gov content customizable and easy to use, reaching users where they are. Developers can register and complete entry requirements at the Health 2.0 Developer Challenge site.

healthfinder.gov’s Quick Guide to Healthy Living is a credible, science-based, and easy-to-use information resource presented in plain language. The Guide informs educates, and motivates users to incorporate healthy behaviors into their lives and take small steps towards improving their health. healthfinder.gov also provides decision support for preventive services covered by the health care reform law (Affordable Care Act) through the myhealthfinder tool.

The mobile app should include Quick Guide to Healthy Living topics and information about preventive services covered under the Affordable Care Act. The app could include tools to help users integrate myhealthfinder, real-time communication tools to stay in touch with peers, community health services/locators; news, analyses and blogs from outside sources; social media and online networking communities; and/or any open source tools as appropriate.

“Supporting innovations that will actually be used by people to improve health is a shared mission among Hatch, HHS and Health 2.0, and is the inspiration behind Hatch's testing platform,” says Patricia Salber, CEO of Health Tech Hatch. “We are proud to be a part of the first phase of the challenge, in which developers will submit working mobile app prototypes, along with documentation and evidence of public feedback via Health Tech Hatch. Developers are permitted to crowdfund their projects, although it is not required.”

Hatch’s platform combines crowdfunding with the power of social media to raise funds not only from family and friends but from anyone who may be interested in the project. A computer or mobile device, and an interest in supporting health care innovation, are all that are needed to get involved.

Submissions for phase one of the challenge, accepted until January 25, 2013, will be reviewed based on several criteria including usability and design; health literacy principles; connection to clinical preventive services and wellness information; evidence of co-design with end user, innovation in design, functionality and accuracy, and healthfinder.gov branding.

About Health Tech Hatch
Health Tech Hatch (Hatch) is an online and mobile resource dedicated to launching early-stage innovations in health care and putting them into the hands of patients, physicians, wellness professionals and consumers. HATCH provides a platform for crowdfunding–a groundbreaking method of raising start-up funds for a new business or product–and expert advice for health tech entrepreneurs (both in the for-profit and not-for-profit worlds) who have brilliant ideas ready to hatch. Learn more at http://www.healthtechhatch.com.